BBC Writersroom Script Room DRAMA 2019

BBC Writersroom's regular window for unsolicited scripts is open between 5pm on Monday 10th December 2018 and 5pm on Monday 7thJanuary 2019 for Drama scripts (TV, film, radio, stage or online).

Before considering making a submission, you will need to read the following information carefully. Submissions that do not meet the criteria or are in breach of the terms and conditions will be subject to disqualification without discussion.

3. If you are submitting an episode script for a series/serial, you may also attach a brief outline, 1-3 pages, of further episodes. (This is not a requirement and would only ever be read if you made it onto the Drama Room Scheme).

This should be attached as a separate PDF document to your script.

*If you are submitting a sample script for Children’s TV or Online, you are welcome to submit 2 x 15 min episodes as a single PDF document.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We look for what the script tells us about the writer. We see all scripts as a calling card to showcase a writer’s talent, ability, and voice.

We are looking for distinctive voices - and scripts that express those voices. We do not look for more of the same – we look for the writer’s ability to pull an audience into a world and hold them in it. It’s not necessarily about finding ideas that have ‘never been done before’ but having an original take on stories that have the potential to have wide breadth of appeal. A sense of storytelling ability - handling of pace, climax, mood.

We want to see the best possible draft you can achieve. We are not looking for early/first/rough drafts of scripts. Only submit to the Script Room when your script is ready, even if it means waiting for a later Script Room submission window.

We are not looking for competent, run of the mill, well-structured pieces. We are looking to unearth the treasures, the page-turners, the new perspectives, the engaging dialogue, the surprising character creations.

OUTCOME OF THE SCRIPT ROOM

At the end of the process, a group of writers (usually between 10 and 15) will be selected to join the BBC Drama Room writer development group for 2019.

Script Room is not a competition but a means by which the BBC seeks out the best writing talent. We look for writers with the strongest potential to be developed and produced for BBC broadcast. You could be new to writing or new to the BBC but equally, you may be a playwright looking to write for TV, or you’ve written for radio and would like to try your hand at writing for CBBC. We understand that carving a career as a writer takes time and that each writer’s development needs will be different.

We will also consider whether scripts have real potential to be developed further towards production. If we believe a script could be developed further by a BBC department, we will send it to them with the writer's knowledge. Original scripts written on spec' are produced extremely rarely, and writers should not send them in with the expectation that they will be produced. However, original spec' scripts are the means by which writers get noticed, so you should always write your script with the same level of commitment as if it were for production.

PLEASE TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING

We will not accept late submissions under any circumstances. Writers have four full weeks to submit scripts giving you plenty of time to figure out the system and meet the deadline. Do not leave it until the day of deadline to submit your script as you will leave yourself no time for troubleshooting. The Writersroom team are on hand to help you through the process during the window opening - Monday-Friday, 10am-6pm, but we cannot guarantee that we’ll be able to help you on deadline day, as the line is often busy.

We no longer accept printed submissions via post. If you have no access to the internet, you will need to contact us to discuss other options.

The safest way to get your script to us, and ensure that it gets read, is to use the E-Submissions system. It is simple to use and will reach us instantly. All you need is an email address and access to the internet in order to use it.

Latest opportunities

Deadline: 5th June 2019 at 6pm. The Prize is an opportunity for writers of any background and experience to enter unperformed plays to be judged by a panel of industry experts for a chance to win part of a prize fund totalling £40,000.

Deadline: 31st March 2019. Following a very successful series of short films shot in 2017/18 RBCA are once again accepting script submissions for next year’s short films. Successful scripts will be filmed to professional standards in autumn 2019.